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Kansas school improvement model undergoes revisions
Jul 9, 2026
by Jay Scott, director of KSDE implementation and supportsIn the spirit of continuous improvement, KSDE has recently updated the Kansas School Improvement model, based on feedback from educators across the state and KSDE staff.
The following is a summary of the revisions to the school improvement model. The model can also be found on the KESA Resources webpage (www.ksde.gov – Student Success – Accreditation – KESA Resources).
Added “System” to the “Balanced Assessment” fundamental. A coherent and systemic approach to assessment is critical.
Changed the title of the Structure from “Educator Evaluation” to “Classroom Observation.” This change was made in response to some systems not selecting “Educator Evaluation” due to the tendency to associate it only with a formal evaluation model. Most systems choosing this Structure were implementing informal walkthrough models to observe teacher use of high-quality instructional materials, Science of Reading practices, or quality instructional strategies, to name a few. “Classroom Observation” more accurately reflects how systems are approaching this Structure. However, coherence is the goal, so an informal walkthrough model should mutually reinforce the formal evaluation model being utilized in your system. The Lead Indicator language associated with this Structure allows school systems to focus on their informal observation model and/or their formal evaluation model. If those two models are not clearly aligned or coherent and based in the Fundamentals, school systems can address that gap through this Structure.
Lead Indicator language for Resource Allocation, Classroom Observation (as referenced in #2 above), Professional Learning, and Professional Collaboration was revised. For Resource Allocation, Professional Learning, and Professional Collaboration, the language was simplified and broadened to be inclusive of each of the four Fundamentals.
The last change was reformatting the model by taking the Measure of Progress (MOP) column out and listing that information in a statement at the bottom of the document. Measures of Progress and associated 6-month and 1-year targets are critically important to implementing well and they will continue to be a major component of KESA Action Plans, but the idea was to create more room for Fundamentals/Structures with moving the MOP language to the bottom of the document.
Thank you to all who have provided feedback to improve the model that continues to drive the collective, collaborative work in pre-K-12 to improve student outcomes.
Contact Jay Scott, jay.scott@ksde.gov, with questions.
